British series entries reach record levels.

This year's Green Flag British F3 Championship is set to reach record entry levels, with over 40 registrations for the 26-round series.

The entries mark the highest number received since F3 changed its technical regulations in 1998 to allow greater power from the engines. It also marks a return to the 40-car entry levels last enjoyed in the late 1980s.

Drivers from eleven countries, many new to the championship, will do battle, while a host of new teams are lining up for the toughest F3 championship in the world.

Formula Three has long been a recognised training ground for F1, with Jenson Button and Luciano Burti being the two most recent graduates, and, in 2001, F1 is strongly represented in the British F3 Championship with two official junior teams, fielded by Italian team RC Motorsport for Prost, and Stewart, on behalf of Jaguar.

Prost has rapid Dane Nicolas Kiesa and Scottish F3 rookie Ryan Dalziel on its books, while Jaguar has signed German driver Andre Lotterer to partner F3 new-boy James Courtney. All four have been on the pace in pre-season testing, mixing it with Carlin duo Anthony Davidson and Takuma Sato. The two BAR F1 test drivers have been tipped as potential champions, and FFord graduate Davidson has stunned onlookers with his pre-season testing pace.

Reigning champion team Manor Motorsport expands to run three cars this season for Brits Derek Hayes and Mark Taylor, plus American driver Jeffrey Jones. Manor has won the last two championships in the UK - in an impressive two-year F3 history - but team boss John Booth has already admitted that the racing will be harder than ever this season.

Other changes for 2001 include Renault engines for the renamed Fortec Renault team with Italian star Gianmaria Bruni partnering American Alex Gurney. Menu RenaultSport, run by Mike Baker, steps up to F3 this season and also uses the Sodemo-tuned Renault engines, whilst Promatecme UK forsakes Renault power in favour of Mugen Honda.

British interest will surround Jamie Spence returning to the class driving for new team Duma Racing, but Guernsey's Andy Priaulx, along with Davidson and Dalziel, have been the top British drivers in testing, with Alan Docking driver Priaulx rarely out of the top four.

The Scholarship Class of the championship, for cars that must be at least two-years-old, is also looking stronger than ever, and has received an influx of new teams and drivers for 2001.

Reigning champion team Fred Goddard Racing has secured Dutchman Robert Doornbos to head its line-up with a second driver to be confirmed. Carlin Motorsport has rapid Japanese driver Kazuki Hoshino, but testing has shown Irishman Michael Keohane and Brit Matthew Gilmore to be the men to beat.

Keohane drives for Roberto Costa's Meritus Racing team and has been impressive during the winter, whilst Gilmore has shown that he will be a force to be reckoned with for new team Performance Racing.

Six new teams enter the Scholarship Class for 2001 making the 40-car British F3 Championship the strongest single-seater championship in the world.

The season kicks off at Silverstone on 1 April.

British F3 Championship - provisional entry list.

Championship Class

1. Derek Hayes Manor Motorsport Dallara F301 Mugen
2. Jeffrey Jones USA Manor Motorsport Dallara F301 Mugen
3. Andre Lotterer GER Jaguar Racing F3 Dallara F301 Mugen
4. James Courtney AUS Jaguar Racing F3 Dallara F301 Mugen
5. Anthony Davidson GBR Carlin Motorsport Dallara F301 Mugen
6. Takuma Sato JPN Carlin Motorsport Dallara F301 Mugen
7. Alex Gurney USA Fortec Renault Dallara F301 Renault
8. Gianmaria Bruni ITA Fortec Renault Dallara F301 Renault
9. Nicolas Kiesa DEN RC Motorsport/Prost Jr Dallara F301 Opel
10. Ryan Dalziel GBR RC Motorsport/Prost Jr Dallara F301 Opel
11. Bruce Jouanny FRA Promatecme UK Dallara F301 Mugen
12. Atsushi Katsumata JPN Promatecme UK Dallara F301 Mugen
14. TBC TBC Team Avanti Dallara F301 Opel
15. TBC TBC Team Avanti Dallara F301 Opel
17. Paul Edwards USA Alan Docking Racing Dallara F301 Mugen
18. Andy Priaulx GBR Alan Docking Racing Dallara F301 Mugen
19. Tim Spouge GBR Menu RenaultSport Dallara F301 Renault
20. Rob Austin GBR Menu RenaultSport Dallara F301 Renault
21. Mark Taylor GBR Manor Motorsport Dallara F301 Mugen
27. Jamie Spence GBR Duma Racing Ltd Dallara F301 Mugen

Scholarship Class

51. Robert Doornbos NED Fred Goddard Racing Dallara F398 Renault
52. TBC TBC Fred Goddard Racing Dallara F398 Renault
53. Kazuki Hoshino JPN Carlin Motorsport Dallara F398 Mugen
54. Parthiva Sureshwaren IND ME Motorsport Dallara F398 Mugen
55. Michael Keohane IRL Meritus Racing Dallara F398 Toyota
56. Peter Nilsson SWE Meritus Racing Dallara F398 Toyota
57. Adam Blair GBR Performance Racing Dallara F398 Opel
58. Matthew Gilmore GBR Performance Racing Dallara F398 Opel
59. Justin Sherwood GBR Performance Racing Dallara F398 Opel
60. Aaron Scott GBR Rowan Racing Dallara F398 Toyota
61. TBC TBC Parker F3 Ltd Dallara F398 Mugen
62. Ernani Judice BRA Parker F3 Ltd Dallara F398 Mugen
63. Stuart King GBR Shift Motorsport Dallara F398 Opel
64. Stuart Turvey GBR Gatellie International Dallara F398 Opel
65. Rowland Kinch GBR Team Park Motorsport Dallara F398 Opel
66. Harold Primat FRA Diamond Racing Team Dallara F398 Mugen
67. Julian Harburg AUS Head Racing Developments Dallara F398 Vauxhall
68. Craig Murray GBR Aztec International Dallara F398 Mitsubishi
77. Mark Mayall GBR Diamond Racing Team Dallara F398 Mugen
88. Shinsuke Yamazaki JPN Diamond Racing Team Dallara F398 Mugen